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Article History

Received: 11 April 2025

Accepted: 27 July 2025

First Online: 22 August 2025

Declarations

:

: This study received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Approval Reference: FHLSREC/DIU/2023/SMIG-28). The research was conducted in full compliance with international ethical standards, including the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical safeguards included participant safety, data confidentiality, and culturally appropriate consent procedures. Given the study population included children under 5 years of age (0–59 months) from the Rohingya refugee community, ethical approval encompassed the use of verbal consent as an alternative to written consent, taking into account high illiteracy rates and relevant sociocultural norms. Informed verbal consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement in the study. For participants under the age of 18, specifically children aged 0–59 months, informed verbal consent was secured from their mothers or primary caregivers. The consent process was conducted in the local language by trained data collectors and witnessed by an impartial community health worker to ensure participant understanding and voluntary participation. Interviews were conducted in private, and no identifying information was collected. All data were anonymized and securely stored. Participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.